Dispensing apparatus



p 1967 c. BLOCK ETAL 3,339,810

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1966 IN V EN TOR.

CHARLES BLOCK BY LEON J. MINTZ A TTOR/VEX United States Patent Ofiice 3,339,810 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 3,339,810 DISPENSING APPARATUS Charles Block, 1129 Albert Road, North Bellmore NY. 11710, and Leon J. Mintz, 7 Valley Road, Syosset, N-Y. 11791 Filed Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,086 6 Claims. (Cl. 222387) This invention relates generally to a dispensing apparatus for storing and dispensing viscous fluids such as shaving cream, tooth paste and the like, and more particularly pertains to a dispensing apparatus of the type that includes a movable piston for forcing the contents of the dispenser through a dispensing valve.

Dispensing apparatuses of the piston type which are used to dispense tooth paste or similar substances normally include a tube having a dispensing valve at one end and a piston movably received within the tube. The displacement of the piston toward the valve forces the contents of the tube through the valve. The movement of the piston is eifected by a feed screw that threadedly engages the piston and causes axial movement of the piston upon rotation of the screw. Conventionally, devices of the above-described type are provided with removable closure members which seal the apparatus prior to its use and which are thereafter discarded. Under normal operating conditions, a portion of the contents of the tube remains in the valve after each use of the apparatus. Hence, this residue becomes susceptible to contamination and provides an environment for the breeding of bacteria. Moreover, the provision of a replaceable cap still leaves much to be desired. That is to say, because of the viscosity of the contents of the tube a flash of the material is normally deposited about the valve passages. When the cap is placed on the tube, the flash is compressed between the lower edge of the cap and the tube thereby again providing material wherein bacteria may multiply and present a health hazard, particularly where the material is tooth paste.

The desideratum of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus of the movable piston type which includes means for effectively sealing the apparatus during periods of non-use and for eliminating contact of the material in the apparatus with sources of contamination, such as the atmosphere.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus of the movable piston type which includes a sealing cap that is permanently affixed to a tube to prevent its loss.

Other objects and features of the present invention reside in the novel details of construction which provide a dispensing apparatus having a cap thereon which is movable between a sealing posmon and a posmon Wherem 3 28 and the tube 12 are coaxial. A piston 30, having a cena passage is provided through the cap for the exit of the contents of the apparatus therethrough thereby preventing the build-up of material between the cap and the tube that may later become contaminated.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the cap thereof oriented to seal the dispensing passages.

The present invention contemplates the use of a tube having a head rotatably mounted thereon. The head is provided with passages to provide a dispensing valve through which the contents of the tube may exit. A piston is axially movable within the tube and is selectively operable to force the contents of the tube through the aforementioned passages. Movement of the piston is effected by the rotation of the head. In accordance with the construction of the present invention, a cap is rotatably mounted on the tube and is connected to the head by a lost motion connection so that the cap has limited rotational movement with respect to the head. Thus, the cap is movable with respect to the head between a first position wherein the cap seals the passages in the head and separates the material in the tube from the material outside of the tube and a second position wherein the cap provides a path for the passage of the contents of the tube through the dispensing valve. Hence, during periods of non-use, this cap seals the dispensing apparatus to prevent air from contacting the contents to prevent contamination of the same. Moreover, a partial rotation of the cap unseals the apparatus and continued rotation of the cap in the same direction forces the contents of the apparatus out of the tube.

More particularly, the dispensing apparatus of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10 in the figures and includes a hollow tube 12 which is adapted to receive a viscous fluid to be dispensed such as tooth paste, shaving cream or the like. The tube 12 is provided with an open end 14, see FIG. 4, an internal annular surface forming a bead 16 adjacent to the open end 14 that defines an external annular recess 18, positioned adjacent to the open end of the tube. Received within the open end 14 of the tube 12 and sealing the same is a head 20 fabrioated from a resilient material such as polyethylene. The head 20 is frusto-conical in shape and is provided with a pair of through passages 22 that taper forwardly and inwardly toward the axis of the head to provide a part of a dispensing valve. Adjacent to the enlarged end of the head 20 is an annular recess 24 that receives the head 16 therein in rotatable engagement therewith so that the head 20 extends forwardly beyond the open end 14 of the tube 12. Thus, the head 20 tapers inwardly from the open end of the tube 12 to provide a front end surface 26 of rela- Other and further objects of this invention reside in the structures and arrangement hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing apparatus constructed according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the dispensing apparatus taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the cap oriented to provide for the flow of the con-tents of the apparatus therethrough,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tube portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a head and screw shaft forming a portion of the dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and

tively small cross-sectional area.

Integral with the head 20 and extending longitudinally into the tube 12 from the rear surface of the head is a screw shaft or feed screw 28. In practice, the screw shaft tral internally threaded aperture 32 is received within the tube 12 in sliding engagement with the walls thereof so its aperture 32 is in threaded engagement with the screw shaft 28. Opposed longitudinally extending internal ribs 34 (FIG. 2) are provided on the interior wall of the tube 12 and are received in complementary for-med opposed grooves 36 in the piston 30 to prevent rotation of the piston 30 relative to the tube 12 and to guide the piston for longitudinal movement along the length thereof. Accordingly, rotation of the head 20 will effect axial movement of the piston 30 in the tube 12 due to the threaded interconnection between the screw shaft 28 and the piston and the guiding engagement between the ribs 34 and the grooves 36. Hence, the displacement of the piston 30 toward the head 20 will cause the piston 30 to apply a force against the contents in the tube 12 in front of it to force the contents out of the tube 12 through the passages 22 of the dispensing valve. If the contents of the tube is tooth paste, it may be applied to a tooth brush.

In accordance with the construction of the apparatus of the present invention, a hollow cap 38 is provided to seal the passages 22 when the dispensing apparatus is not in use thereby to prevent the contents of the tube from becoming contaminated. More particularly, the cap 38 is frusto-conical in shape similarly to the head 20 and is provided with a rearwardly extending flange 40 having an internal annular bead 42 adjacent to open end 43. The bead 42 is rotatably received in the external recess 18 of the tube 12 to non-removably and rotatably connect the cap 38 with the tube 12. The cap 38 is sized to rotatably receive the head 20 therein with end wall 44 of the cap in sliding engagement with the front surface 26 of the head. Provided in the end wall 44 of the cap 38 are a pair of through apertures 46' which are adapted to be aligned with respective passages 22 when the cap 38 is in one position. However, the end wall 44 is adapted to seal the passages 22 when the cap 38 is in another position with respect to the head 20.

A lost motion connection between the cap 38 and the head 20, designated generally by the numeral 48 in FIG. 3, limits the rotational movement of the cap between the aforementioned first and second position relative to the head 20. Thereafter, continued rotation of the cap 38 will cause the head 20 to rotate in the same direction as the continued rotation of the cap. The lost motion connection 48 comprises a pair of opposed circumferentially extending elongated recesses 50, provided in the wall of the head 20. Opposed projections 52 extend inwardly from the wall of the cap 38 and are slidably received in the respective recesses 50. The projections 52 are of smaller circumferential extent or dimensions than the respective recesses 50, so that when the respective projections 52 abut one end of the recesses 50, the cap 38 will be in the second position whereby the apertures 46 are aligned with the respective passages 22 (FIG. 3). On the other hand, when the projections 52 abut the other end of their respective recesses 50, the cap 38 will be in the first position and the end wall 44' will cover to seal close the ends of the passages 22, as shown in FIG. 6.

In operation, the cap 38 is rotated relative to the tube 12 and the head 20 until the cap 38 is oriented in one of its positions with the apertures 46 aligned with the respective passages 22 in the head. During a portion of the rotative movement of the cap 38 from the sealing to the unsealing position, the head 20 remains stationary by virtue of the lost motion connection 48 between projections 52 in their recesses 50 of the cap 38 and the head 20 respectively. However, once the cap 38 is rotated to position the projections 52 such that they abut the opposite end walls of their respective recesses 50 in the head 20, the apertures 46 are automatically aligned with passages 22 to enable material to be dispensed from the tube 12. Further or continued rotation of the cap 38 in the same direction causes the head 20 to rotate with it. This continued rotation of the cap 38 causes a corresponding rotation of the screw shaft 28 which similarly effects axial displacement of the piston 30 toward the head 20. This results in the application of a dispensing force on the contents of the tube 12 causing the same to exude through the passages 22 and the respective aligned apertures 46.

When it is desired to seal the passages 22 of the dispensing apparatus 10, the cap 38 is rotated in the reverse direction to the first position wherein the projections 52 abut the other end walls of the respective recesses 50. During this reverse movement of the cap, the projections 52 move freely within their respective recesses 50 toward the other end walls thereof. In like manner, the end 44 of the cap also rotates relative to the end wall 26 of the head 20. This causes a movement of the apertures 46 relative to the passages 22 so that in this orientation of the cap 38 relative to the head 20 apertures 46 move out of alignment with the passages 22 so the end wall 44 of the cap seals the open or exit ends of the passages 22, as shown in FIG. 6, thereby closing the passages and preventing air from reaching the tube contents which remain in the passages 22. Thus, the contents such as tooth paste are thereby prevented from becoming contaminated. Moreover, this results in a clean end 44 on the apparatus 10. Thereafter, continued reverse movement of the cap 38 will cause a retraction of the piston 30 within the tube 12 that creates a suction on the contents to withdraw it from the ends 26 and 44.

In practice, the outer surface of the flange 40 of the cap 38 may be knurled to facilitate the grasping thereof to effect rotation of the cap. Additionally, the elements comprising the dispensing apparatus 10 may be fabricated from a resilient plastic material so that the apparatus may be assembled easily. For example, the head 20 is inserted into the tube 12 so that the open end 14 is spread radially until the bead 16 is received in the recess 24 whereupon the tube 12 again contracts into its natural shape to provide a seal between the tube and the head which prevents the flow of the contents of the tube therebetween.

Accordingly, a dispensing apparatus has been provided which includes a cap that is permanently affixed to a tube and which is adapted to effectively seal the apparatus during periods of non-use.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising a tube having an open end,

a head rotatably mounted in said tube and closing said open end,

at least one through passage in said head communicating with the interior of said tube,

means in said tube moving in response to the rotation of said head for causing the contents of said tube to move through said passage,

a hollow cap rotatably connected to and enclosing the open end of said tube and encompassing said head to receive the same therein, said cap being movable relative to said head and tube between a first position wherein said cap seals said passage in said head and a second position wherein said cap opens said passage to provide for the flow of the contents of the tube therethrough and to rotate said head with said cap, and lost-motion connecting means between said cap and said head to rotate said head with said cap when said cap is in said second position and providing free limited rotative movement of said cap relative to said head from said second position to said first position.

2. A dispensing apparatus according to claim 1,

and an internal bead on said tube adjacent the open end thereof,

and an annular recess on said head adjacent the bottom surface thereof rotatably receiving said internal bead therein to provide a rotatable connection between said tube and said head.

3. A dispensing apparatus as in claim 1,

wherein said tube is provided with an external annular recess adjacent to the open end thereof,

and an internal bead on said cap rotatably received in said external recess on said tube to provide a rotatable connection between said tube and said head.

4. Adispensing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said connecting means comprises at least one circumferentially elongated recess in said head,

and a projection on said cap smaller than said recess and received in said elongated recess for relative movement therein,

said projection abutting one end of said slot when the cap is in said first position,

and said projection abutting the other end of said slot when the cap is moved to said second position whereby further rotation of said cap in the same direction causes concomitant movement of said head to dispense the contents of said tube.

5. A dispensing apparatus as in claim 6,

wherein said cap is provided with an end wall having an aperture therein,

said aperture in said end wall being adapted to be aligned with the passage in said head when the cap is in said second position,

said end wall being adapted to close said passage in said head when said cap is moved to the first position.

6. A dispensing apparatus as in claim 4,

wherein said moving means comprises a screw shaft extending longitudinally in said tube and connected to said head for rotation therewith,

a piston threadably mounted on said screw shaft and slidably received in said tube,

and means on said tube and said piston for preventing rotation of said piston relative to said tube whereby rotation of said screw shaft causes axial movement of said piston.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,691,861 11/1928 Stout 222390 X 2,064,308 12/ 1936 Hopkins 222548 X 2,163,974 6/ 1939 Blett 222390 X 2,765,954 10/1956 Wohlbier 222548 X 3,027,052 3/ 1962 Marraflino 222-390 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

20 F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A TUBE HAVING AN OPEN END, A HEAD ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBE AND CLOSING SAID OPEN END, AT LEAST ONE THROUGH PASSAGE IN SAID HEAD COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUBE, MEANS IN SAID TUBE MOVING IN RESPONSE TO THE ROTATION OF SAID HEAD FOR CAUSING THE CONTENTS OF SAID TUBE TO MOVE THROUGH THE PASSAGE, A HOLLOW CAP ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO AND ENCLOSING THE OPEN END OF SAID TUBE AND ENCOMPASSING SAID HEAD TO RECEIVE THE SAME THEREIN, SAID CAP BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID HEAD AND TUBE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID CAP SEALS SAID PASSAGE IN SAID HEAD AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID CAP OPENS SAID PASSAGE TO PROVIDE FOR THE FLOW OF THE CONTENTS OF THE TUBE THERETHROUGH AND TO ROTATE SAID HEAD WITH SAID CAP, AND LOST-MOTION CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID CAP AND SAID HEAD TO ROTATE SAID HEAD WITH SAID CAP WHEN SAID CAP IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION AND PROVIDING FREE LIMITED ROTATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID CAP RELATIVE TO SAID HEAD FROM SAID SECOND POSITION TO SAID FIRST POSITION. 